This case study belongs to the prescribed subject: Rights and protest
See also: Case study 1: Civil rights movement in the United States
Nature and characteristics of discrimination
What were the main reasons for segregation in SA prior to 1948?
Ideology
- The Boers (predominantly) came over with Calvinist ideas and kept them, isolated from the development of European ideas
- Thought they were God’s chosen people, especially after defeating natives at Blood River
- Racism was justified by ideas of Social Darwinism in early 20th century
- Rise of Nazism was admired by many of the Afrikaners
- Objected to British government joining Allies in WW2
Economic Profit:
- British wanted cheap labour in the mines, to maximise profits
- Native Africans were initially slaves, then after its abolishment they were paid very little
- Afrikaners wanted cheap labour on their land (many still kept African slaves)
Politics:
- British and Boers needed some sort of unity in order to find peace, because war is expensive in resources
- Hence, the unification of S Africa, and thereby the Europeans as a united group (whites)
What were the main causes of the Nationalist government obtaining power in 1948?
- Already some segregating policies implemented by the UP prior to 1948
- Mostly to keep natives working cheaply in mines
- Afrikaner nationalism rises, as separation between them and the British-majority government become more pronounced
- Rural Afrikaners felt they weren’t being represented by UP, especially in its decision to join the Allies in WW2
- In the election, constituencies balanced in favour of more rural regions in the Transvaal and Free State, where the predominantly rural Afrikaner population voted for the NP, which they felt better represented them
- African migration into cities meant greater poor Afrikaner hostility
1948 Election
- UP had more voters
- But NP had more constituencies (70 vs 65)
- Coalition government with Afrikaner Party (AP) gives NP a very narrow margin
- But both have coalition governments
- Definitely not a landslide victory
- Daniel F Malan
Grand Apartheid vs Petty Apartheid
Grand Apartheid | Petty Apartheid |
Later NP government policy | Earlier NP government policy |
Under Verwoerd | Under Malan and Strijdom |
Territorial segregation, with the aim of making whites and blacks two separate regions | Baasskap - subjugation of blacks through force during this period |
Implemented in face of negative international relations due to apartheid | Focused on small things (fussy) |
Grand = high, noble | Negative |
Move away from essentially enslaving Africans for economic gain. | |
Impacts of District 6
District 6 was a very multicultural part of Cape Town, but declared white only. The resulting impact was:
- Destroyed black homes in place of white buildings (residential, economic)
- Blacks deported to outer district (residential, social, economic)
- District 6 community was torn apart (social)
- Suicides due to this (social)
- Anger (social)
Civil Disobedience organisations
- ANC - African National Congress
- NAC - National Action Community
- SAIC - South African Indian Congress
- NVB - National Volunteers Board
- FRAC - Franchise Action Council
- SACP - South African Communist Party
MK (Umkhoto we Sizwe) and Rivonia Trial
- Formed after Sharpeville
- Sabotage
- Training grounds in Mozambigue, Angola and Zimbabwe, among others
- Mandela arrested in ‘62 for trying to leave country
- 5 years in prison
- Admitted to MK membership in custody
- 1962 - 63 operations continued
- Raid on base in Rivonia
- Key MK members arrested
- Rivonia Trials, 1963
- Sabotage (under act of 1962)
- Planning Guerilla war - documents found at HQ
- Mandela and 10 other leaders on trial for (among other offences):
The role and significance of key actors/groups
Chief Albert Luthuli
Who was he?
- President General of ANC 1952-67
- Chief of Groutville in Native Reserve
- Dismissed due to ANC association
- Teacher
- Strong Christian
- Wrote “The Road to Freedom was via the Cross”
- Pacifist due to Christianity, and generally opposed armed struggle
What did he do?
- Led Defiance Campaign
- ANC banned as official political party under Suppression of Communism Act
- Operated underground still
- 1954 arrested in relation with ANC
- ANC re-banned after his release
- Mediated between Charterists (democratic) and Africanists (African nationalist)
- Died in 1967
Was he successful?
Yes | No |
Peace prize brought attention to ANC | Need for violence, that he tried to ignore |
Moral authority | ANC violence put him in a bad light, despite his general opposition to it. Arrested because of it. |
Non-violence meant support from white S. Africans | Not strong enough to resist calls for violent protest |
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